The Laughing King, The Loyal Servant
by TheHazardsOfLove13
Summary: From one king's jealousy, can another find love? Based on Shakespeare's play A Winter's Tale
The first time Camillo saw him was when he arrived at court. Leontes' brother, or as good as, was what everyone told him. They had grown up together, and were such good friends that nothing would ever tear them apart. Camillo watched the pair, easy-going, laughing together about deeds long since performed, and suddenly felt a pang of jealously run through him. At what? he wondered. He examined the feeling further, and realized that he was jealous of Leontes for being so close to the other king. But why? He didn't know the man or anything about him, but something drew his eye… Stop, he told himself, Nothing can happen between us. He is the King of Bohemia and you are a servant to Leontes. A high ranking servant, but a servant no less, and nothing will happen, nothing can happen, it is impossible. Still, when he saw the way the king laughed, or the genuine look of happiness in his eyes when he looked upon his friend, Camillo couldn't help falling in love.

The first time Polixenes saw him was a couple days later. Leontes' loyal cupbearer, and closest confident, apart from him and his wife Hermione of course. What first caught his attention was the way the man avoided his eyes. Most of the lords and ladies in the castle were happy to converse with him, and took every opportunity to do so, but this man, Camillo, had avoided him ever since the day he had came. Polixenes decided to engage the other man in conversation and jokingly asked him some question about Leontes. Camillo met his eyes and Polixenes almost took a step back, his eyes burned with a fire that Polixenes couldn't identify, but that fascinated him. In the stifled world of court politeness, he had never seen emotion like that, so raw, so passionate. Polixenes was trapped in his gaze, he didn't even hear Camillo's reply, but just stared, taken totally off balance. After the conversation ended, Polixenes had to lean against the wall, as his legs could barely hold him, the memory of those eyes forever burned into his brain in letters of fire ten feet high.

Camillo wished he could say that something had happened that day, or in the days after that slipped by in a haze of unrequited longing, but nothing had. He and Polixenes had talked a few times after that in the nine months past, but their conversations were always wrapped in the cocoon of court politeness. This was expected and normal in court, everyone hid behind gilded images of themselves and never let but the most trusted people. For kings, the rule was doubly true. The fate of thousands of people rested on their shoulders and to show flaws to anyone was to show weakness, and to show weakness was to declare your country to be ready for invading. Still, sometimes he fantasized that one day, Polixenes would let him in and he would reciprocate and they would see each other as more than the laughing king and the ever-loyal cupbearer.

Polixenes knew that it was time to leave. He had spent more than nine months in Leontes' court and he had to get back to Bohemia. Why had he stayed so long anyway? It was of course because of the chance to see his childhood friend, and how happy he was with his beautiful wife. He was just enjoying the chance to be relieved from the duties of kingship. Of course. His reasons for staying so long didn't have anything at all to do with a certain lord. Nothing at all. He made his announcement in court that did, and Leontes tried to talk him out of it, then called in Hermione, his wife. It was just then he looked to the back of the court and saw Camillo, looking at him. "What say you? My prisoner or my guest?", Hermione said jokingly. Polixenes thought of the letter from his wife still sitting in his pocket, and of home in Bohemia, his son Florizel, and their happy, perfect, polite family. Then he thought of Camillo. Camillo wasn't perfect, he was real. He should go back, he had to be a king, but when he looked at Camillo, he couldn't say that he was leaving. "Your guest, madam", he said to the smiling lady. Kings weren't supposed to have weaknesses, but Camillo was his.

Camillo had been celebrating Polixenes' decision to stay, perhaps more than he should, as his happiness was starting to draw looks from the court and gossip spread quickly, but he didn't Leontes began to interrogate him about Polixenes' reasons for staying, his first thought was that he knows. Camillo, sure that all his hidden thoughts were plain, made some comment about the obvious, that Hermione had persuaded him. To his surprise, Leontes seemed to start at that comment and started questioning him even more, asking him if anyone else knew of the business. What was he talking about? "Business, my lord", he queried, "I think most understand Bohemia stays here longer." "Ay, but why?", shot back the king. "To satisfy your highness, and the entreaties of your most gracious mistress", Camillo answered, now completely bewildered. Finally, Leontes told him that he believed Hermione had been unfaithful to him, and with Polixenes. Camillo stumbled back in disbelief. It couldn't be true, Polixenes would never do that, and Hermione loved Leontes more than life itself. He protested against it, but Leontes grew more and more threatening until Camillo saw that he must agree with the king, who had suddenly lost all reason, if he wanted to escape the room alive. Leontes then went even further and ordered Camillo to poison Polixenes. "Do it, and thou hast one half of my heart. Do it not and thou splits thine own", the mad king threatened. He had no other option. "I'll do it my lord."

Polixenes wandered the halls, lost in thought. Was he still welcome here? He had passed Leontes in the halls, and greeted him with customary compliment, but the other man had looked at him with dislike, even hatred. What was happening with his friend? He looked up so that he didn't run into something, and noticed Camillo. More emotional turmoil. Exactly what he needed. He greeted the other man and asked him about Leontes' behavior half out of curiosity, half out of politeness, and half out of just wanting to talk to the reason he decided to stay. No, wait, that didn't add up. Oh well, nothing else did anyway. Life wasn't like some easy to solve arithmetic problem. Or rather it had been, but no longer, himself+a kingship+a best friend+a wife+a son equaled a perfect life, but then when he added one lord into the equation, all it turned into was a confused mess. He turned his attention back to Camillo, only to notice that he didn't look well, he was ashen-faced and shaking. What had happened to him? He questioned Camillo until he had the horrible truth. Leontes had accused, tried, and convicted him of adultery, and Camillo was to be his unwilling executioner. But he didn't do it. Camillo was willing to throw away his position, his home in the court that he'd lived in since birth, so that Polixenes could live a little longer. And despite his friend's betrayal, Polixenes wasn't entirely taken over with sadness. "And I'll place my fortunes in your care, which are by this discovery lost", said Camillo. This was the moment that would change the course of his life forever, and Polixenes seized it. For once, he didn't hide behind a kingly facade or carefully calculated diplomatic actions, he acted on pure passion and instinct, and kissed Camillo. Camillo returned the favor, and both men were taken aback that they were not alone in love. When both realized that this was not a dream, they fell into each other's arms, took hands and fled Sicilia together.


End file.
